The ups and downs of soil grading
Q. I have always been aware of your emphasis on making sure that soil is graded properly for drainage. I have never had a problem with water in my basement, but I am afraid I may have created a situation where there is potential for water. I am living in a home from 1955 with very sandy soil. However, there were massive shrubs (some sort of evergreen) growing along the front of the house. I'm sure they were put in when the house was first built. They spread eight to 10 feet into the yard and had never been taken care of. You know what happens next.
I hired my teenage boys to chop, haul and dig. The yard is ever so much bigger now but after the removal of roots and stumps, the ground is about 6 inches shallower than it used to be. I immediately realized that this calls for "correct grading" but am unsure of how to go about it. In order for me to act preventively and to do it correctly the first time, I hope you can give me pointers. I am not sure if I should merely bring in a huge load of topsoil to fill in the trench. Should I fill a couple of inches with gravel and then top off with dirt to increase drainage? How far up the foundation wall should the top be? The rest of my yard is a mess already, as it has not received any TLC for many years, so I'm open to whatever suggestions you have. With all of the rain we've had this summer, I consider myself lucky to have gotten this far without any water in the basement.
Specifics: The topsoil along the front of my house is about 6 inches lower than the rest of my front yard. This shallow area extends from the foundation wall about 10 feet toward the street and about 40 feet along the foundation. The street-side edge of my property has a curb. My soil is very sandy and drains well. How should I repair the trench so that I can best grade the front yard and keep water from finding the low point of my yard and seeping into my basement? Thank you so much. I know you have experience with this. Do you have any books out with all of your knowledgeable advice?
A. Even though you're not having leakage in your basement now because of the sandy soil, you are wise to think in terms of winter, and especially spring when the snow melts - when most problems show up. In the fall, when the sandy soil gets saturated, it can freeze before full drainage occurs. Snowmelt cannot be absorbed, and it runs along the foundation where it can find a weak spot and leak in the basement. You do not need to spread any gravel in the low spots. Just fill the trench with good topsoil and spread it as far as you can into the front yard, keeping two guidelines in mind: Do not bring the soil closer than 6 inches to any wood, and maintain a slope away from the foundation of 2 inches per horizontal foot. Plant grass and avoid any flowers or shrubbery. They can be planted a few feet away from the foundation where they will not cause problems. You can purchase my book, "About the House with Henri de Marne," in any bookstore or from Upper Access by calling (800) 310-8320.
Q. My grandmother read about Amteco Silox Seal A in your column, and has been looking for it, but hasn't found it anywhere. Could you tell me of any specific stores that carry those products?
A. The best way to get Amteco Silox Seal A to coat a masonry chimney is to order it directly from Amteco, as it is not widely distributed. Call their toll-free number: (800) 969-4811.
Q. I recently had a new deck of Wolmanized lumber installed on my porch, which is exposed to the weather on two sides. My neighbor, who is an architect, suggested I have it painted. We used two coats of an acrylic heavy-duty paint on it. Now to my consternation, I read your article suggesting that Wolmanized lumber not be painted. Any advice or help will be appreciated.
A. Pressure-treated lumber should not be painted. First, it comes quite saturated with moisture from the treatment, which is why the recommendation used to be to wait at least a year before applying any preservative to it. New coatings have been available for several years now that allow treatment of pressure-treated lumber to be done immediately after installation, but painting damp or wet lumber is asking for a major paint failure. Even if you waited a year for the wood to dry, you would have a potential, even probable, paint failure because pressure-treated lumber is not a top-grade wood and has many small cracks and other imperfections that make it vulnerable to water penetration. It is affected by weather and temperature changes that cause the wood to swell and shrink. Pressure-treated lumber should be coated with a product manufactured for the purpose. Wolman and other manufacturers have complete lines of such products.
Q. Could you please tell me how to clean tile/grout on the walls of a shower? The tile is Italian ceramic with white grout and is approximately 5 years old. The grout is beginning to gray and the household cleansers I use to clean it (Tilex, Softscrub, Comet) will not keep it white. My floor tile cleans easily due to the flat floor surface where I can let the cleaner penetrate. But on the wall, everything rolls downward. What can I use to clean this?
A. Try Clorox Pen for the grout. It has a small tip that is perfect for this type of application. Once the grout is white again, you should seal it to keep water from penetrating it. A tile store can sell you the product you need. The other cleaning products you mention should clean the tiles. Just keep rubbing to let the cleanser do its work.
Q. Like everyone else, I'm looking for ways to save on fuel this coming winter. I have an old two-story house with an open stairwell to the second floor. I'm thinking of moving to the first floor for the winter and putting foam board insulation horizontally over the top of the stairs. This would create sort of a false ceiling for the downstairs - and completely close off the upstairs. Are there risks? Condensation? The upstairs is only heated with one vent, and it's at the very top of the stairs (forced hot air). Should I leave that vent partially open or close it completely? Someone suggested that it should be closed off at the furnace so that the heat doesn't collect in the vent. I'd appreciate your thoughts.
A. Obviously, there is no door at the bottom or at the top of the stairs. What you propose makes sense, but be aware that there will still be some heat loss because the first floor ceiling is not insulated. The foam board will slow the transfer of heat from the first to the second floor. Periodically check to see if a musty odor develops in the upstairs rooms or if severe condensation occurs on the windows. If either does, you may want to bite the bullet and heat the upstairs. If the heat register is located in the stairway below where you plan on putting the insulation, it should be closed off. There is no need to close it off at the furnace; the warm air will not collect in the duct - the dead air in the duct will prevent any movement of air through it. Keep in mind that the long-range solution to saving on fuel is to improve the energy efficiency of the building envelope through increased insulation where possible and with the addition of new, tighter windows and doors.
• Henri de Marne's column appears Sundays. He was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or via e-mail at henridemarne@gmavt.net.
© 2008, United Feature Syndicate Inc.